FRESNO, Calif. – After having almost two full weeks off, the Fresno Pacific University baseball team is set to return to action this weekend, hosting Concordia for four PacWest Conference games. The series begins on Friday at FPU Diamond and will feature a pair of doubleheaders, marking the first home conference series for the Sunbirds this season.
 
THIS WEEK
Games 17/18
vs. Concordia
Friday, March 24 • 12 p.m. (9 innings) / 3 p.m. (9 innings)
FPU Diamond • Fresno, Calif.
Stats • Audio
 
Games 19/20
vs. Concordia
Saturday, March 25 • 11 a.m. (9 innings) / 2 p.m. (7 innings)
FPU Diamond • Fresno, Calif.
Stats • Audio
 
SCHEDULE  
FPU hosts Dixie State next weekend before taking part in a week-long road trip to the Aloha State for duels with Hawai'i Hilo and Hawai'i Pacific.
 
Academy of Art heads to the Valley for the first of four league games on April 20, with back-to-back doubleheaders against Holy Names set for the next weekend. The final series of the year for the Blue and Orange will also feature Point Loma, and FPU's Senior Day is set for May 9.
 
The NCAA Division II West Regional will begin on May 18, with the championship game scheduled for Monday, May 22. The site will be determined at the conclusion of the regular season. Grand Prairie, Texas will host the NCAA Championship for the first time, with Regional winners squaring off from May 27 – June 3.
 
To view the entire schedule for Fresno Pacific baseball, please click here. For a printable version, click here.
 
ABOUT THE SUNBIRDS (6-10, 3-5 PacWest)
In their last series, the Sunbirds came away with a 2-2 road split against fifth-ranked Azusa Pacific after winning the opener of Friday's doubleheader as well as Saturday's series finale each by a single run. Braden Frankfort led the way offensively for FPU, recording a pair of home runs while driving in eight runs for the weekend en route to becoming the team's season leader in batting average. Infielders Tristen Alvarez and McKay France matched Frankfort's five hits on the series, helping the Blue and Orange to average almost nine knocks per game.
 
On the mound, Josue Mendivil turned in the best start of any Sunbird pitcher, allowing three earned runs and fanning eight Cougars while pitching into the ninth inning. Matt Bergandi closed out both FPU wins, while relievers Nic Boatman and Nic Garcia each recorded scoreless outings. Garcia has yet to surrender a hit this season through six appearances, while projected Game One starter Trent Ashford leads the team with 27.2 innings pitched.
 
ABOUT THE EAGLES (10-13, 7-4 PacWest)
The Eagles are coming off a four-game home sweep of Hawai'i Hilo in PacWest action, outscoring the Vulcans 23-11 for the series. An eight-run first inning set the tone in Saturday's series finale, helping Concordia to push their winning streak against UHH to seven games. In league play this season, Hunter Holland sits atop the team leaderboard in RBI (8), extra-base hits (5) and on base percentage (.441). Cade Temple (.353) and Haloa Dudoit (.350) lead the team in hitting against conference opponents, while the Eagles have successfully pulled off 15 steals through three PacWest series.
 
Carpenter Pagett has yet to allow an earned run in four PacWest outings, while Neil Lang's 19.0 innings of work and 15 strikeouts are each good enough for a team-high. On the year, Carpenter has picked up four saves, tying him with Bergandi and California Baptist's Brody Robinson for second in the league. As a staff, the Eagles have been relatively shaky, as league opponents are hitting just south of .300 with five home runs so far.
 
SERIES HISTORY: FRESNO PACIFIC VS CONCORDIA
The Sunbirds stand 16-19 in the all-time series, including an 8-6 mark at their home facility. Last season in Irvine, FPU outscored the Eagles 14-10 en route to a series split in the first meeting between the two teams since 2012. The Blue and Orange also claim the longest win streak in series history, winning nine straight from 2009 to 2011.  
 
CONFERENCE STANDINGS
Concordia currently sits in sixth place in the PacWest standings, one spot above Fresno Pacific. The poll is based on win percentage in league games.
 
HEAD COACH OSCAR HIRSCHKORN
Oscar Hirshckorn has been the head baseball coach at Fresno Pacific University since the program's inception in 2006. In 11 seasons at the helm, he's led the program to a 339-242-1 all-time record, seven regional postseason appearances, three World Series appearances (NAIA and NCCAA) and back-to-back World Series championships (2014-2015).
 
FPU baseball made its postseason debut in just its third season as a program (2008) with Hirschkorn being named conference coach of the year. Before joining the NCAA Division II, FPU qualified for four straight NAIA Championship Opening Round appearances from 2008-2011 and was ranked in the NAIA Top-25 for four consecutive years. In 2009, in just its fourth season, the Sunbirds reached the NAIA World Series, finishing fifth in the nation.
 
In 2014, Hirschkorn led the program to its first World Series title, being named NCCAA national coach of the year. He repeated both accolades in 2015. Prior to starting the FPU baseball program, Hirschkorn was an assistant coach at Reedley College and Caruthers High School and was a head coach at Sanger High School, where he inherited a team that had gone 4-23 the previous season. Three years later, he guided the squad to the school's first postseason appearance in 19 years.
 
Hirschkorn's playing career began at Kerman High School and took him to Reedley College, Cal Poly, and Chico State. Hirschkorn ranked among the top tier in the Northern California Athletic Conference in wins and was in the starting rotation on the school's first NCAA Division II National Championship team in 1997, a year in which the team compiled a 52-11 record. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1993 and again in 1994. 
 
Hirschkorn was named GSAC coach of the year and region coach of the year in 2008, and national coach of the year in 2014 and 2015. He holds his B.A. (1998) and M.A. (1999), both in Physical Education, from Chico State.
 
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SHOP FPU
The Fresno Pacific Department of Athletics is proud to announce the opening of a Team Store that can be accessed on ShopFPU.com. Fans and students can now purchase apparel for all 14 athletic teams, along with numerous other items, throughout the 2017 season.